Wang Bi Words Meaning The View Of The Study

The debate on Yan(言) and Yi(意) is one of the basic issues in the history of Chinese philosophy. Every school has their own interpretation but what the debate on Yan and Yi really means is still to be explored. Some people think that it is about whether language can express clearly the mind and they interpret relations between Yan and Yi as the relations between language and the mind. These views are limited. This thesis tries to reorganize the debate on Yan and Yi and clarify its meaning.This thesis takes Wangbi(王弼) as a case in studying the debate on Yan and Yi. By studying relevant discussions of Tang Yongtong(汤用彤), Feng Qi(冯契), Mou Zongsan(牟宗三) and Wang Baoxuan (王葆玹) concerning the debate on Yan and Yi based on that of Wangbi's, the thesis expounds multi theoretical implications of this notion. And it also shows fruitful thinking of Chinese philosophers on language.This thesis is divided into five parts.The first part is the introduction. It tells the initial motive of composing this thesis and gives problems to be solved and their solutions.The second part is an interpretation of Wangbi's basic concepts about the debate on Yan and 17. Wangbi has his own ideas on Yan, 17 and Xiang(象). Wangbi divides Yan into Mingi(名) and Cheng(称). He holds that Yan is composed of Ming as a name and Cheng with subjective purpose. Wangbi believes that both Ming and Cheng are somehow limited. As for Yi, Wangbi often regard Yi(义),Yi(意), Li(理) and Dao(道) as synonyms. In Wangbi's view, 17 has two meanings: one is Guayi(卦义); the other is Dao, Li and the realm of life(境界) embodying Dao and Li. Wangbi takes Xiang as the intermediate link between Yan and 17, which brings about the propositions of "reaching Yi while forgetting Yan"(得意忘言) and "reaching Yi while forgettingXiang"(得意忘象).The third part deals with Wangbi's analysis on the above two propositions and compares them with another proposition "Yan is unable to exhaust Yi(言不尽意) and unfolds Wangbi's thoughts on the issue of Yan and 17.The fourth part explains Tang Yongtong, Feng Qi, Mou Zongsan and Wang Baoxuan's research on the debate on Yan and 17 and concludes my personal understanding of this problem.The fifth part is my thoughts about what the debate on Yan and Yi is and the linguistic-philosophical problems brought forward by the debate on Yan and Yi. The debate on Yan and Yi consists of three parts. One is on the expressive level, which includes linguistic and non-linguistic levels. The linguistic level is made up of "speak in a speculative way"(思辩地说)and "speak in a poetic way"(诗意地说); the non-linguistic level is composed of music, painting, facial expression and so on. The second part is about four understandings of Ti, which develops from Pre-Qin period "textual meaning", "communicating purpose" and "Dao", to "image"(意象) and "realm of life" in Weijin period. The third part is about the discussions concerning the relationship between Yan and Yi. When Yan is used to refer to something concrete or to express precise meanings, Yan may tell what Yi means; when dealing with abstract ideas, Yan may fail to tell what Yi means. The thesis tries to explore the problem of how to say things that couJd not be said, as derived by the debate on Yan and Yi. It is discussed from three aspects: The relationship between Yan and Dao, the difference between "speak in a speculative way" and "speak in a poetic way", the difference between linguistic and non-linguistic ways of expressioa...